Achas a Estel a Bâr
by Sincorah
Summary: Yet another 'girl falls into Middle Earth' story, oh joy! Sorry that this is extremely cliché, I am just trying to get through some writers block, and this is a very basic story to write. I will try to veer away from over excessive Mary-Sue-ness, but if it gets bad please do not hesitate to say so! I welcome any and all constructive criticism.
1. Just Your Typical Weekend

Chapter 1:

Allison sighed to herself as she made her way to the front of the ancient school bus. While most seventeen year olds her age were driving themselves to school, she lived about twenty miles out in the country. Normally this would not be a problem, but she had recently lost her job, and could not afford to pay for the gas for each trip to and from school just to save some time. Thus, she was left with an hour and a half ride one-way each day amongst a group of screaming and unruly 5th graders and younger.

At least her driver, Ben, was a good guy. He didn't mind that she had taught some of the older kids to play poker, as long as they weren't overly disruptive. Granted, he was usually more preoccupied with the ten rows of youngsters in front of the elder students, but he was still a decent person. As she made her way up to the house, she almost felt like dancing. Another weekend was finally here! Summer vacation was only three weeks away, and she felt the giddiness building up already. Greeting her hyperactive labradoodle, Tracker, she headed inside and let the dog in with her.

Grabbing an apple from the counter, she headed back outside to check on her horses, Tracker happily running in circles around her. Checking that the animals still had plenty of water in their tank, she went into the shed by the barn where the family's cats and dog were _supposed_ to live. They usually snuck into the house whenever they could, so it was basically a dining room for them. Giving them food and fresh water, she headed back inside. The only other chore she had this week was to take out the garbage, which she quickly disposed of.

Now all she had left was homework and she would be free for the weekend, but why do today what you can put off until tomorrow? Snickering quietly to herself, she decided to have a good old fashioned Lord of the Rings marathon instead. She threw some popcorn in the microwave and grabbed a Coke from the fridge, putting Fellowship of the Ring in the DVD player. She watched until the mines of Moria, then heard the garage door opening, signaling her mother's return home. Pressing the 'pause' button, she got up to help her mom bring in the groceries. As they carried in the food, her mother spoke.

"Allison, although your father and I's anniversary isn't for another week and a half, we both have this weekend off, and we are going to go on a little trip, just the two of us. We will be gone until late Monday night, so you will be on your own for almost three days. Will you be alright for that long by yourself?" Tempted bitterly by the desire to childishly roll her eyes and respond that she was seventeen, what could possibly happen, she was secretly touched at the concern her mom showed for her well-being, even if she would like her parents to have a bit more confidence in her.

"Yeah, mom, I'm sure I will be fine. I can call or text you if anything comes up." With a snarky grin she added, "Just make sure the fridge is fully stocked, would ya?" Her mom laughed with her, and then headed to her bedroom to pack.

Allison's dad arrived home shortly after, and was happily surprised at the news of the trip, and he wasted no time in rushing downstairs to join her mom in packing. They ate a quick supper, and went to bed shortly after. Allison, however, decided to finish her earlier movie. She could feel her eyes beginning to droop, and could hardly even laugh properly at Haldir's comment regarding the volume of noise with which Gimli breathed. Deciding to call it a night, she turned off the TV and stumbled into bed.

Waking up the next morning, she saw that her parents had already left, and grabbed some cereal sleepily. As she ate, she looked at the beautiful sunny Saturday weather outside, and decided to go for a ride after breakfast. Changing into a pair of jeans, a black tank top, and leather riding boots, she grabbed a dark blue sweatshirt to tie around her waist just in case it rained later in the day. Packing a couple of nature's most perfect food, (peanut butter and jelly sandwiches), a banana, and a water bottle, she stuffed it all into a small backpack that wouldn't hinder her while riding, and headed outside.

Feeding the cats and dog, she refilled the water tank for the horses again and then caught her horse, Sarabi, and put on her bridle. Although they had saddles for each of their horses, she preferred to ride bareback whenever she rode alone. Jumping up onto Sarabi's back, she guided the horse through the yard and then down the driveway to the road beyond. "Stay!" she commanded Tracker harshly, knowing the dog would otherwise follow her. Normally Allison would let her tag along, but she wanted a good gallop today, and did not want to exhaust the poor lab.

Following the road for a way, she came upon her favorite place in the area to ride, Maplewood State Park. She took a trail into the park that was normally used by snowmobilers, but had been left open in the summer. Urging Sarabi into a canter, she rode happily along at the smooth but swift pace, closing her eyes and enjoying the gentle breeze and the caress of the sun on her face. Which was why she failed to see the fox slinking across the path in front of her before Sarabi did. Although Allison was a fairly skilled rider, without a saddle it was difficult to maintain one's seat when one's horse stops dead out of a fast run with no warning, and Allison was no exception. She went flying over Sarabi's head and struck the ground hard. Her last memory was of swift blurred movement and then darkness.


	2. A Long Way From Home

Author's Note: I didn't have a disclaimer on the first chapter, so I am putting one here and this is all there will be for the whole story, but I'm pretty sure it goes without saying by now that I own none of this except Allison and Sarabi. Also, my knowledge of Sindarin is even less than Allison's, so expect mistakes. I would gladly welcome any corrections!

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><p>Chapter 2:<p>

Allison sat up slowly, blinking her eyes rapidly as she tried to remember what had happened to her. The last thing her mind had registered was some sort of animal spooking Sarabi, and then she must have been thrown. _Hmm, I guess mom might have been right about riding bareback being dangerous. I will have to let her know that when she and dad get back._ Allison climbed to her feet, brushing herself off, and carefully felt her head for any signs of swelling, worried that she may have a concussion. However, her vision was not blurry, and she felt as though she was thinking clearly.

Glancing around at her surroundings, however, prompted her to check again. _That's odd. This forest doesn't look anything like I have seen in Maplewood. I must have hit my head harder than I thought. _"Sarabi!" she called out, looking for any sign of her missing miscreant. "Sarabi, come back here! Come here girl!" Searching the ground for any hoof prints that could give her a hint as to the whereabouts of her horse, she was sadly disappointed. Sighing, she headed back in the general direction of where she remembered coming from, hoping that the mare had decided to run home.

Unfortunately, this plan only gave her comfort for about five minutes, before she was forced to conclude that she was probably lost. "Amarth faeg" she muttered under her breath, happy that she could cuss in other tongues. Her parents had taught her well to speak politely and never curse where others may be offended, but out in the woods, and in a fictional language, she felt safe to bemoan her 'evil fate' in Sindarin. _I'm such a nerd_, she thought, as she sought to pinpoint her location. This was not the way she had come riding through, and since she still remained on the path, perhaps doubling back would prove fruitful. As she turned, she saw a slight movement in the trees, and tensed slightly, quickly grabbing her knife from her boot. She always took a knife with her when she rode alone, in case Sarabi's bridle were to catch in something and she spooked, needing to be released quickly before she could injure herself.

Allison knew that whatever had moved was probably just a squirrel, and there weren't any animals in these woods besides perhaps a mountain lion or bear that could harm her, and the chances of that happening were slim to none. Nonetheless, she was a bit nervous about not finding Sarabi and then losing her bearings in the woods. She had just relaxed and replaced the knife in her boot when she heard a commanding voice order, "Daro!"

Freezing instinctively at first, she wondered who would be speaking Sindarin in the middle of Minnesota, but the voice had been so commanding she did not think to disobey. A tall, raven-haired man came striding from amongst the trees from the same direction she had heard the rustling. Her eyes widening slightly, she thought, _Whoa! Definitely not a squirrel. Looks a heck of a lot more dangerous too. _She noted that he was dressed similarly to the outfit Legolas wore in Fellowship when the Nine walkers were journeying together, and that he had a similar bearing. It wasn't until her eyes fell upon the pointed tips of the man's ears that she began to realize what she was dealing with.

Now, most girls in her place would most likely have done one of three things. Begun screaming, begun crying, or straight up fainted. Allison was not most girls, and it had been years since she had truly screamed. She only wept when she was hurt emotionally, and that when no one could see, and as for fainting, she had never once even come close in her life (No, getting knocked out from a horse does not count). Left without any of the previous options, she remained silent while her mind kicked in to overdrive, trying to figure out what was happening.

Her first instinct told her to start asking questions along the lines of 'Who are you? What do you want with me? Why are you dressed like that and speaking elvish? What's with the _ears_? How are you so hot?' _Did I really just think that?_ Allison wondered, as her second instinct caught up with the first and promptly told it to shut up. Finally processing that she must be still unconscious in the forest, she decided that she was dreaming.

_Hm. I must have done something right recently, to get a dream like this _she decided, looking once more at the so-handsome-it-was-almost-sinful man- uh no, elf, before her. She wanted to let the dream play out, so she decided to play along.

"Tolo ar nin."

She gathered that this meant something along the lines of 'follow me', as it had been issued as an order, and the elf was waiting for her to respond. Unsure of what she should say, and cursing her limited vocabulary, she stuttered out, "Ú-bedin edhellen, hir nin." Scarcely had the words left her mouth than she realized how foolish that must have sounded. Flushing slightly, she glanced at the elf once more.

He raised an eyebrow at her broken Sindarin, but made no comment, merely nodding and motioning for her to follow him. Allison walked behind him and slightly to the left for a bit, wondering why he did not better guard her, before she glance at the foliage to her side opposite the sun and saw a shadow following her. Without thinking, she spun and faced the shadow, sinking slightly into a basic fighter's stance.

Years of good natured wrestling with her two older brothers (both out of the house by then) and two years of tae kwon do had given her the basic knowledge to defend herself against the average human. However, as she faced this new threat, she realized the person before her was neither average, or human. Straightening in confusion, she swung her head to look ahead again, seeing the first elf standing and waiting for her. Looking back, she again saw the mirror image behind her, this one smirking. The two were completely identical, and it took her a moment to place who they could be. "Elladan a Elrohir Elrondion" she breathed softly in wonderment, bowing slightly from the waist in respect.

Beginning to wonder if this was not a dream after all, she quietly followed the twin in front once more. _Well, I suppose that would explain the handsome factor. At least I can trust the sons of Elrond. Unless they think I'm a spy or something. That could explain the cautious walking arrangements. I wonder what Rivendell looks like in person? I suppose unless they kill me, I will find out soon enough._

The three walked on for another hour or so, and Allison could feel her feet begin to become sore. Beginning to panic slightly as she faced the increasing possibility of her actually being in Arda, she was distracted from her inward panic attack by a beauty she had seen only poorly represented in movies before. Frozen by the majesty of the view, she could say only one word. "_Imladris_."

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><p>Translations:<p>

Amarth Faeg: Evil Fate!

Daro!: Stop/Halt!

Tolo ar nin: Come with me.

Ú-bedin edhellen, hir nin: I do not speak elvish, my lord.

Elladan a Elrohir Elrondion: Elladan and Elrohir, sons of Elrond


	3. Welcome to Rivendell

**I just want to say thanks really quickly to all who followed/favorited or reviewed. It means a lot to get encouragement and criticism on my writing! Thank you all!**

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><p>Chapter 3:<p>

Still standing awestruck at the beauty before her, Allison missed the matching startled looks on the twins' faces at her naming Rivendell in elvish. Turning to the elf slightly behind her, she quietly asked, "Man tôg, hir nin?" Giving her a measured glance, he replied, "Elladan. 'Im Elrohir. Le?" Thinking back to what little she knew, she replied " 'Im Allison. An ngell nîn, hir nin, mi van me bado?" He motioned for her to continue following Elladan as he replied. "Adar nin, hir Elrond Imladris."

Allison faltered for a moment in her steps, before continuing to walk toward the great elven city before her. _Elrond! I wonder if he looks at all like Hugo Weaving? I hope he doesn't think I'm a spy too. Although Elrohir seemed to not be overly suspicious._ Deciding to remain silent once more, she let her eyes drink in the sights all around her, as a feeling of peace and security swept over her. _It must be an elf thing_ she thought, as they approached the main cluster of buildings. While the layout of Rivendell was similar to that of the movies, it seemed to have an ethereal glow, not unlike the elves themselves.

Seeing various other elves stop what they were doing to glance curiously at her, she quickly dropped her eyes, hoping to avoid too much attention. As she was not watching where she was going, she nearly ended up colliding with Elladan, who had stopped abruptly in front of her. He spoke to a tall, golden haired elf for a moment, who replied so softly she couldn't catch the words. _Stupid elvish hearing _she thought, wondering who this blonde elf could be. As far as she could remember, Elrond was raven-haired in both the books and the movie.

Elladan and the other continued to speak, and her escort's voice grew slightly louder as he seemed agitated about something, and she caught the word 'Glorfindel'. Eyes widening in shock and not a little fear, Allison instinctively backed up several paces from the powerful Balrog-slayer. Elrohir caught her as she crashed into him, and she cried out in surprise before recovering herself. As the elf-lord behind her helped her to regain her balance, she glanced at him and murmured, "Hannon le, hir Elrohir. Amin hiraetha."

The elf didn't seem offended though, and simply gave her a grin. This had caught the attention of the other two in the vicinity, and they both approached. Allison fought the desire to back up again, trying to remain calm. Glorfindel looked at her curiously, then asked a question she did not understand. "Ú-bedin edhellen, hir nin Glorfindel." At which Glorfindel looked slightly confused, and the twins both grinned in amusement. Elrohir responded for her, and she didn't understand most of the words, but she heard her name mentioned.

The blonde elf lord asked her another question, and she again did not understand, but it didn't sound elvish. In fact, it sounded rather like Old English, and she guessed that this was the Common Tongue. She shrugged helplessly, and said apologetically, "Ú-iston." At this all three elves looked rather surprised, and Elladan asked another question in the same language. Allison gave him a blank look and said again, "Ú-iston." _I really hope they don't get mad that I don't know any of their languages fluently._

Although seemingly startled that she had no knowledge of the common tongue, to his credit Glorfindel took it in stride. "Le suilon, Allison. Le nathlam hí."

Bowing slightly out of respect, she replied, "Hannon le, hir nin." _I guess he isn't too upset by my lack of knowledge. Oh I really hope this is just all a bizarre dream and I can wake up soon. I really need to find Sarabi._

Her thoughts were interrupted by Glorfindel once more, as he commanded, "Tolo ar nin, Allison." She respectfully touched her forehead as she had seen Aragorn do toward Galadriel in Fellowship of the Ring to the twins, then followed the blonde elf down the path.

After several more twists and turns of elvish architectural beauty, Allison found herself in a large room with a wondrous view of nearly all of the city. Turning from the windows, she saw that Glorfindel had stopped walking and was now speaking quietly with a raven haired elf seated at a desk at the far end of the room. When he rose, she got a good look at his face, and gasped slightly in surprise. _Wow Peter Jackson really knew what he was doing. I could swear that is Hugo Weaving. _Looking closer, she mentally added: _with a lot more glowing and elvish-ness._

He came forward with a kind smile and said, "Welcome to Rivendell, young Allison." Without thinking she replied, "Thank you my lord. It is a very wondrous place..." She trailed off, eyes widening as she realized he had spoken in English. "How did you...?" He smiled, and held up his hand in explanation. Vilya, the Ring of Air, was upon his finger. Allison stared at the ring of power in a moment of utter astonishment. "Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky..." she whispered in awe. Elrond's eyebrows rose slightly. "You know of the legend?"

"Only a little." Allison replied, deciding not to reveal that she knew everything that would happen from this point forward. "So your ring enables you to speak my language, my lord?" she questioned. "Indeed. There will be time for questions later though. I can tell you have a pure heart, and are no agent of the enemy, so all other queries I have can wait until morning. I suggest you get some rest. Ethiriel shall show you to a room you may stay in for the duration of your time here." An elf maiden appeared from seemingly nowhere and smiled at Allison in greeting. Allison decided to try to greet her, and spoke, "Ai Ethiriel. 'Im Allison." Ethiriel's smile widened and she replied, "Mae g'ovannen, Allison."

Although she did not wish to cause offence to any of the elves in the room, she could feel weariness overtaking her, and glancing outside she realized it was nearing dark. She bowed reverently from the waist to both Elrond and Glorfindel, then followed Ethiriel out of the study. They traveled several more hallways, then her guide showed her a small but very well furnished room. "*Posto vae Ethiriel," she said with a tired smile. Ethiriel returned the smile and replied, "*Losto vae, Allison."

Taking off her boots, backpack, and sweatshirt, Allison took out her slightly smashed PB&J sandwiches and water bottle. Eating quickly, she determined the banana to bruised to eat, so she disposed of it by throwing it out the window as hard as she could. Belatedly, she realized it could have hit someone, so she hurriedly looked out the window, but all seemed well as far as she could tell, so she shrugged and went to the bed. Scarcely had she hit the surprisingly soft mattress before she was out like a light.

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><p>"*Echuio Allison." Mumbling slightly to herself, Allison yawned and stretched. "Mom, you will never believe the dream I just had! I was in Arda and..." she stopped talking as she took in her surroundings, and she realized that none of it had been a dream. <em>I'm in middle earth. Oh my gosh I'm actually in middle earth! Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! <em>She was trembling slightly and on the verge of all out panicking, when a voice cut through her thoughts.

"Av-'osto! Allison! Av-'osto." Calming slightly, she glanced up at the concerned face of Ethiriel, and began to calm down in earnest. "Elrond. An ngell nin, hir Elrond!" Although she was unable to fully express what she wanted, Ethiriel understood the girl wished to speak to Lord Elrond, and motioned for her to follow.

Allison followed the elf, as her mind raced through what the possibilities of actually being in middle earth could include. _How long until the Fellowship is formed? What if it has already departed? Why am I here? What if my being here ruins everything? What if...?_" They reached the same room as the evening before, and Allison deduced that this was perhaps Elrond's study.

Walking in behind Ethiriel, she saw Elrond seated at the same desk as the night before. He looked up at their approach, and nodded in greeting. "Lord Elrond, forgive me if this sounds foolish, but this is Imladris? As in Rivendell? As in Middle Earth? You are an elf? And there are dwarves, and dragons, and dark lords, and magic rings?" She wanted to go on, but even she could tell she sounded slightly crazy. "Please, tell me this isn't real. Tell me it's just a pizza induced nightmare and I'm going to wake up soon feeling like an idiot!"

Elrond motioned for Ethiriel to leave the room, then rose and gently put his hand on her shoulder. "Allison, calm yourself. Everything will be all right. Why don't you tell me what is troubling you?" Feeling slightly better, she took a few deep breaths, then began.

"I'm not exactly from here. I don't mean Rivendell, or even the West. I mean I'm not from Arda. I literally live- _lived_ in a different world. My home is called Minnesota, in the land of America. You can't find it on any maps here because it is a different place entirely. I truthfully have no idea how I came to be here."

He gave her a measuring look, then questioned, "If you are from an entirely different world, how do you know Sindarin? How did you know of the rings of power, and my sons' names?"

Uncertain of how to answer, she replied, "In my world there are stories about Arda. A man named Tolkien wrote several books about it. We all thought them to be nothing more than legends and fairytales. I had no idea this place actually existed, and now I am stuck here!"

Elrond merely nodded, accepting this as the truth; far-fetched as it may seem, stranger things had happened. "Then it seems as though you will be staying with us for some time. Perhaps it would be wise for you to learn to speak the common tongue, so that you may fluently converse with others. I also assume you have had no training in any sort of weapons?"

"I know my way around a bow, from hunting with my uncle, and I was always decent at darts, so maybe I could be good at throwing knives? I haven't had any training with a sword or axe or anything though, just some basic hand-to-hand self defense."

"If you are to survive in this world for any amount of time, it would be wise to hone what skills you have, and learn to wield a sword as well. I shall arrange for your training to begin this afternoon. First, we shall go and find some breakfast, then this morning I shall begin your language instruction."

"You will be teaching me?! My lord, do you not have many other duties that need to be attended to? Surely another could teach me."

"Yes, another could, but you already understand me, which will make it much easier to teach you what each word means by comparing it to one you already know, rather than trying to start from nothing. Glorfindel will be training you in the weapons areas, do you have objections to this as well?"

Allison instantly wanted to protest with a very similar argument as her previous one, until she noticed the mischievous glint in the elf-lord's eyes. Realizing this argument would be met with a very similar response as the previous one, she replied, "If you do not think Lord Glorfindel will mind, I have no objections."

"Excellent. Shall we?" he asked, escorting her out of the study and down to the main dining hall with a smile.

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><p>Translations:<p>

Man tog, hir nin? : Who leads, my lord?

'Im Elrohir. Le?: I am Elrohir. You are?

An ngell nin, hir nin, mi van me bado?: Please, my lord, where are we going?

Adar nin, hir Elrond Imladris: My father, Lord Elrond of Rivendell

Hannon le: Thank you

Amin hiraetha: I'm sorry

Ú-iston: I don't know

Le suilon, Allison. Le nathlam hí : I greet you Allison. You are welcome here.

Ai: Hail

Mae g'ovannen: Well met

*Posto vae: Rest well

*Losto vae: Sleep well

*Echuio: Wake up

Av-'osto: Don't be afraid


	4. Adjusting to Life in Arda

**My sincerest thanks once again to all who read, favorited/followed, and/or reviewed this story! Happy belated Thanksgiving everyone!**

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><p>Several weeks seemed to fly by for Allison, as she enjoyed the serene beauty of the Last Homely House. Her training with Elrond went swiftly, and it only took the elf lord the better part of two weeks to teach her the basics of Westron. Weapons training with Glorfindel, however, was extremely difficult, as she lacked even the basic elven strength, speed, and endurance. Fortunately for the <em>edain<em> girl, the blonde elf lord seemed to have endless patience, which was most likely a result of the numerous centuries he had walked Arda. She had hoped to at least have passable marksmanship skills with a bow, but elven longbows were very different from the compound hunting bow she was used to. It took her nearly a week just to be able to string and draw back the powerful weapon.

Glorfindel assigned her several exercises to be done every morning and evening to build up her strength and endurance, and she very gradually made progress with the bow. Throwing knives, however, was a practice she picked up very quickly, and seemed to excel at. While these unconventional arms were not as common among the elves, Glorfindel had been trained in every form of weapons known to man, elves, and dwarves, and was able to teach Allison with ease.

Elladan and Elrohir were not around very often, as they continued to seek their vengeance against the foul creatures responsible for the unspeakable crime against the twins' and Arwen's mother. Allison later found out that it was by pure chance that it was the twins who had found her that day, as the patrols around Rivendell were far more likely to have found the young human than those two. Nonetheless, she was grateful for their company when they were around, as they were able to show her some tricks that helped her with both the bow and the throwing daggers.

She couldn't help but feel some frustration though, as she was surrounded by immortal beings with very few flaws who had already been trained in these arts for thousands of years. As she learned and strengthened painfully gradually, she learned patience as well, and was glad when she was finally able to see a marked improvement in her body after several weeks.

That was when the sword training started. She saw even less progress in this than in the bow, but she felt that, given time, she would be a better swordsman than an archer. As the days past, she painstakingly slowly began to turn from a slightly out of shape teen to a somewhat skilled warrior. Skilled enough to last about five minutes against an orc at any rate, according to Glorfindel. _Which is nothing to sniff at, considering when I first came I wouldn't last five seconds. Not that I would ever say that to Lord Glorfindel, of course._

Despite having lived amongst the elves for nearly two months, she still felt somewhat nervous being around them for longer than it would take to say hello. Elrond was always kind and tried to be reassuring, and she was slowly beginning to feel more relaxed around him, but she would always refer to him as 'my lord' or 'sir'. Glorfindel seemed to sense her nervousness, but training every day with a powerful warrior and dealing with weapons with the same usually involves trusting your sparring partner, and she began to become more comfortable around the Balrog-slayer as well.

Unfortunately, her thrift-store bought jeans and Wal-mart tank top could only take so much wear-and-tear, and by the third day of dwelling in Imladris, she had to ask if she could obtain a change of clothes. Instantly, Ethiriel apologized for having forgotten such a detail for their guest, and began to question Allison about her preferred dress colors and styles. Allison smiled a bit apologetically and asked if it would be possible to receive a tunic and trousers instead. Although Ethiriel pointed out that is was uncommon and not likely to be well received, the _elleth_ searched for suitable garments nonetheless. Elrond and Glorfindel took it in stride, so there were no disparaging comments or opinions from the other residents of Imladris for Allison to deal with.

Regardless of the unconventional clothing, she blended in better than in her previous outfit. She was granted three tunics and two sets of trousers, as well as a sturdy pair of leather boots. She began to braid her hair back every morning, as weapons training was usually easier when she could see. It was so unusual for her to have to tie it with a strip of leather, as she was accustomed to elastic hair bands from home.

One morning as she met Elrond in his study to continue her lessons in Westron, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in a mirror, and began to snicker. Dressed all in elven clothes, with her dark hair braided back and her throwing daggers at her side, all she needed was the ears and she would truly look like an elf. Quickly, however, her laughter turned to weeping, as the emotional shock of what had happened caught up to her in full. _There's no way I can get home now. I am stuck in Middle Earth, with elves, dwarves, hobbits, orcs... and Elrond, who by now probably thinks I am an overly-emotional foolish human child not worth his time. And he's kind of right._

Her self-deprecating and increasingly panicking thoughts were interrupted by Elrond quietly placing his hand upon her shoulder in silent comfort. Seeming to sense her thoughts, he said, "Do not be ashamed of your tears. It is better to let them flow than continue to try to shut off your emotions. Given your circumstances, it is understandable to be confused and upset. I have no knowledge of other worlds, let alone travel between them, but I give you my word that if it is ever within my power to send you to your home, you shall have my aid." Seeing that the young human needed time to recover herself, he added, "Go now and rest for a time before your lesson with Glorfindel. Our lesson for today is concluded."

Smiling gratefully at the tall elf-lord, Allison rose and bowed slightly. "Thank you for your kindness, my lord. Your offer means more to me than I can say." She felt herself growing calm once more, as it was difficult to remain upset for any prolonged period of time in such a tranquil place as Rivendell. Allison suspected it had something to do with 'the power of the elves' or some such.

As she made her way to her quarters to recuperate for a couple hours before her weapons training with the blonde elven warrior began, she thought, _You know, there could be worse places to be inexplicably transported to than Arda, I guess. Like in the middle of Star Wars or something. I would probably get shot by a battle droid before I had taken two steps. At least here I might stand something of a chance against your run-of-the-mill orc. But then, there's also the Uruk-hai, and the Nazgûl, and... Well, it still could be worse. I hope mom and dad aren't too worried, and that Sarabi found her way home alright. _

With these thoughts plaguing her already over-tired mind, she almost missed seeing the abrupt departure of her erstwhile weapons teacher go flying out the main entrance to the city on Asfaloth. _Why would Glorfindel be leaving in such a hurry? ... Oh no! Frodo!_


	5. A Familiar Face

**Once again, my thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read this story, and my heartfelt gratitude to those who have taken the time to leave a review. I know this is more of a filler chapter, but I hope you enjoy nonetheless!**

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><p>Allison knew logically that there was nothing she could do to make time go faster, but that didn't stop her from pacing as she waited anxiously for Glorfindel to return with the wounded Ringbearer. Finally losing the battle with impatience, she rushed out the door, nearly colliding with Ethiriel in the hallway. Murmuring a swift apology, she continued to hurry to Lord Elrond's study, her mind in turmoil.<p>

"My lord Elrond!" she cried out, rushing through the door without bothering to knock. The raven haired elf lord rose swiftly at the sight of Allison's face. Seeing the concern in Elrond, and knowing her own worry was writ clearly across her own visage, she spoke quickly. "I apologize for disturbing you like this, but an event has very recently occurred and I fear without your aid in these next hours the future of Arda will be forever changed for the worse."

She took a deep breath to continue, pausing abruptly when he raised his hand. "Allison, please be calm. I am willing to assist you in whatever this is, but please do not tell me any more than what is absolutely necessary. As you have spoken of tales in your land regarding Arda, I will assume that you know what is to come. However, telling me anything of importance could also lead to changes in our fate. Please proceed with caution."

Allison nodded swiftly; brief irritation replaced by a sense of purpose as she considered how to tell him Frodo would need his help without revealing anything of the future. "There is... I mean..." she sighed briefly. "Your healing skills will be needed. A personage with a critical part to play in the future of all of Middle Earth has been near mortally wounded. The damage was inflicted by a cursed Morgul blade. Please, be prepared with what medical supplies you will need."

Elrond gave her a measuring glance that was part amusement, part exasperation, and part patient acceptance. His next question caught her off guard. "How do you think Glorfindel knew that today would be a good day to ride at a very swift pace in the general direction of the wounded Ringbearer?" He would have continued, but Allison was already flushing as she recognized her mistake. Of course Elrond already knew about Frodo being wounded! How else would Glorfindel have known to go? _Drat these elves and their foresight._ She glanced back up, realizing that even now the elf lord was waiting for a response.

"Please accept my apologies once again, my lord. I fear I panicked, and neglected to think this through before I came rushing in and disrupting your work. Please excuse me." Figuring that the least she could do now was leave him in peace to prepare to help Frodo, she bowed slightly and exited in a much quieter and subdued fashion than her entrance.

* * *

><p>Quietly pacing her chamber once more, Allison wondered if there was anything at all that she could do to help, before quickly dismissing the notion. The elves were thousands of years older than her, and all had extensive training in their various fields of expertise. Glorfindel would return safely with Frodo, Elrond would speed the healing process, Aragorn would safely escort the other hobbits to the Last Homely House, and Gandalf would be here when Frodo awakened.<p>

She yearned to do something, _anything_ to help, but her common sense won out in the end. Surely she would only get in the way, and do more harm than good. Indeed, if she did interfere, she could irrevocably change everything and possibly doom all of Middle Earth from the smallest mistake. It was far safer for her to stay in her room out of the way for the time being, regardless of the feeling of helplessness and uselessness that threatened to overwhelm her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of returning hoof beats, and she could not contain a gasp of dismay at the sight of the little hobbit upon Asfaloth. He was somehow smaller than she had expected, despite having read of the stature of Halflings. What really captured her attention, however, was his face. His eyes were surrounded by a reddish discoloration, and he was far paler than she believed to be healthy. Exhaustion and pain were evident in the strained lines of his face, and he swayed slightly from his perch upon the mighty elven horse.

Whirling in an instant she ran to the door, about to fling it open before logic overcame her once more and she slumped against the wall in frustration. All of her senses were screaming at her to _HELP HIM_! Rising to her feet again, she sprinted back to the open window. By the time she had returned, Frodo was already being carried off, presumably to a healing wing. Sighing slightly in relief, Allison sank down to sit on her bed and allowed herself to relax, knowing that everything would play out from here relatively smoothly. _I wonder when Gandalf will show up; I sure hope he is ok after that duel with Saruman..._

* * *

><p>Waking and blinking blearily, Allison realized she must have dozed off after the adrenaline and worry for Frodo had worn off. It was several hours after the arrival of the wounded hobbit, and she hoped that she hadn't missed anything of importance. Rising, she made her way out of her room and headed down to the courtyard, following the sounds of commotion made by more than just elves, if the younger sounding voices were anything to go by.<p>

Striding a bit faster, she wondered if perhaps the other hobbits had arrived with Aragorn, and a voice with a lilting accent rising above the others struck forcibly in her memory. _Pippin._ Grinning, she happily sped up even more, wondering if he would resemble Billy Boyd as much as Lord Elrond resembled Hugo Weaving. Comparing Frodo to Elijah Wood had been the farthest thing from her mind when she had seen the state he was in, and now her curiosity spiked as of to just how close Peter Jackson had been at selecting actors for each character.

As she turned the final corner and came into full view of the courtyard, she caught sight of a dusty and disheveled Viggo Mortensen, and three hobbits beside him. She remained back a bit, reminding herself that they knew nothing of her and being fan girlish would only disturb them and possibly cause offence. Even as she settled back to enjoy comparing each to their counterpart in her world, Allison heard a sound that nearly stopped her heart.

A voice rose up from a person previously blocked from her view by the ranger; a voice speaking in agitated English. Stepping forward quickly without thought, Allison caught sight of a girl standing behind Aragorn, a girl she was very familiar with.

"Christina?" The girl spun at her voice, her eyes widening in shock. "Allison?‼"


	6. Explanations

**Chapter 6**

Gasping for breath and struggling to sit upright, Allison wondered if it was possible to die from laughter. Every time she came close to composing herself, she would catch a glimpse of the irritated expression on her friend's face and that would set her off again. Christina was trying to remain serious, but even as frustrated as she was she could not deny the humor in her story. A grin crept onto her face, even as she smacked Allison on the arm. "Would you please stop laughing for two seconds so we can figure this out?"

"You... hee hee... you thought... ha ha ha... Elijah Wood... ha ha ha..." Allison gasped out, unable to breath or speak properly. "Are you quite finished?" Christina asked, helping her friend sit up. Breathing deeply, Allison regained control of herself; although a wicked grin remained upon her face.

"You really thought I convinced my parents to proclaim me missing for several weeks, bribed Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, and the other actors, and then arranged to have you knocked out and brought to these woods just to prank you?"

"I didn't know what to think! My best friend was pronounced missing, your parents were freaking out, and no one had seen or heard anything of you since you disappeared! I figured that maybe you had gone riding and hit your head or something, so I decided to go take a look. I drove up to Maplewood and walked a couple of the trails I knew were your favorites, then out of nowhere this guy walks up and starts yelling at me in some other language. He had a sword pointed at me. A sword, Allison! So then I'm looking at the guy, and I'm thinking, 'wow! He sure looks an awful lot like Aragorn!' I listen, and I have no clue what he is saying but it sounds kind of like Sindarin. What would you have thought?"

The grin slid off Allison's face, and she furrowed her brow in thought. "I really don't know. So after he found you, neither of you had any idea what the other was saying, but he allowed you to come with him and the hobbits?"

"Yeah. I guess after I saw the Halflings I realized that this was no prank. I started freaking out then, and Aragorn knocked me out. When I woke up, I was on Bill, and we were on the way here. I tried asking where we were going, but I can't speak Sindarin. I tried calling him Estel, and he stopped and stared at me, and then asked me a bunch of questions but I have no idea what he was saying. So he finally gave up, and we walked on until we reached Weathertop. I guess I dozed off because the next thing I knew there was this terrible screeching, and I swear that the Nazgul must be part dementor or something!

Ron really knew what he was talking about when he said you 'feel like you will never be cheerful again'. I was petrified! And the witch king was coming closer and closer to Frodo, and I wanted to help but I was too scared to move, and then Frodo was stabbed and..." Allison saw that Christina was close to hyperventilating, and put a hand on her shoulder in support. "It's ok. He will be ok, and hopefully you will never have to see those fell creatures again." Christina nodded, and took a deep breath, becoming calmer. "After that, Aragorn came back and chased them off, and I was dazed, so the rest was a bit of a blur. A blonde elf came riding up to us some time afterwards, and then Frodo was gone. I followed the others, and we ended up here. I guess you know the rest now."

"Yeah, I'm just glad that you weren't hurt. So, what do you think of Imladris?" Allison spread her arms wide with a smile as she gestured to the view from the window of her room. The girls had left the courtyard to come back to Allison's quarters to speak without being in the way.

Christina grinned at her friend's antics, and replied saucily, "Well, it is quite lovely, to be sure, but having to look at your face at the same time is killing the effect." Allison growled and tackled her friend, pinning her quickly and proceeding to tickle her to death.

"Mercy! Mercy!" Christina gasped out, giggling and trying to fight her off. After they both sat up, she looked at Allison incredulously. "How did you get so strong? Been training with the elves or something?" Allison shot her another grin, and replied, "Yup, so don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry." The girls both chuckled at the joke, and then sobered slightly.

"So, have you happened to see Legolas around?" Christina asked, trying and failing to sound nonchalant. She had harbored a crush on the (presumably) blonde elf for several years, and was looking forward to meeting him in person.

"Nope." was Allison's reply. "He's probably off in Mirkwood. Although, if Frodo and the others are here now, then the council has probably been called, and he will most likely be on the way here. Just please don't turn all fan-girly! I don't want a Mary-Sue for a best friend!"

Christina furrowed her brow, "What's a Mary Sue?" Allison just shook her head and mock-shuddered. "A girl who falls into Middle Earth and has insane fighting skills and falls in love with Legolas. He worships the ground she walks on, and they live 'happily ever after'. Generally, they have no flaws and have 'a voice like flowing waters and a laugh like the tinkling of silver bells' or some other BS."

Eyes widening, Christina stared at her friend in horror. "If I ever get anything like that, I invoke the Code of the Best Friend. Please, if I turn into a Mary-Sue, make it a mercy killing!" Allison grinned and nodded. It was good to see being in Arda had not corrupted her friend. Until her next words that is.

"Except for the falling in love with Legolas and having him worship the ground I walk on, and the insane fighting skills would be nice." Allison gaped in horror, until she noticed the laughter and teasing in her friend's eyes and punched her in the shoulder. "If you even think about professing your undying love to the crown prince of Mirkwood, do you have any idea what he would think? He..." she would have gone on to rant for several minutes, possibly hours, had not a knock on the door interrupted her and caused both girls to jump.


End file.
